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The #MeToo cry in the Southern film industry has grown louder. Actress Sanjjanaa Galrani has alleged that she was harassed by director Ravi Srivatsa during the shoot of her first Kannada film 'Ganda Hendathi' in 2006.

In an interview to 'Hyderabad Times', Galrani said that despite her unwillingness she was forced to do a kissing scene repeatedly for many days. When she objected to it, Srivatsa apparently lashed out and asked her to spare him lessons in direction.

Galrani has claimed that Srivatsa had forced her to perform intimate scenes in the film which was a remake of Bollywood's 'Murder'. She also alleged that cameras were fixed at places about which she had no idea.

Srivatsa has rejected the charges and accused Galrani of making baseless allegations. In fact, he has questioned her silence for thirteen years.

"My 25 years of career in the film industry is ruined due to the allegation. Why she was silent for all these years?" he posed.

Galrani's charges come just days after actress Sruthi Hariharan spoke up about colleague and actor Arjun Sarja making her feel uncomfortable during a shoot. The 29-year-old Hariharan, who had debuted on the big screen with Malayalam film, 'Cinema Company', has received support from some sections of the film industry even as a few others have questioned her timing and intent.

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Sruthi Hariharan recently spoke up about colleague and actor Arjun Sarja making her feel uncomfortable during a shoot. On Thursday, Hariharan put out a statement on Facebook following the backlash that she had received after having outed Sarja, including accusations of being "manipulated by some from the industry" to level charges against the actor.

"I decided to come out on my own free will. Unlike many of you respected members of the film industry say/assume, there is no one behind me who pushed me/"made me" do so. Making it crystal clear: Neither is Mr Chetan or Mr Prakash Raj sir, Mrs Kavitha Lankesh Ma'am or anyone else "making me" come out. They and others stand in solidarity with me, and I am very grateful to each of them," her statement read.

She went on to add that if the case went to court, she would submit the evidence and 'let the legal system serve justice the way it deems fit'.

In a Facebook post on Oct 20, she had praised the #MeToo movement and alleged that Sarja behaved with her in a "lewd and complete
(sic) unprofessional" manner.

Sarja has responded by saying that he is pained by the allegations and will file a case.

Meanwhile earlier, activist Ekta M had shared an account of her friend, without revealing her identity, accusing screenwriter-director Ere Gowda of sexual harassment.